United States of America

Enroute, the crew encountered unknown technical problems and decided to abandon the aircraft and to bail out. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed. All five crew members were unhurt.

Captain De Cicco took over the controls of the aircraft shortly after the flight had passed the Newark fan marker, and started an instrument approach to the Port Columbus Airport. Altitude was reduced to 1,600 feet which was the minimum for that part of the instrument approach to Columbus. However, Captain De Cicco continued his descent below 1,600 feet despite the objections of Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole stated that he immediately engaged himself in a search of the cockpit for an instrument approach chart for Columbus, presumably to show Captain De Cicco that an altitude of 1,600 feet was required until over the Summit Hill fan marker. The descent was continued, and just as the aircraft emerged below the overcast Mr. Cole looked up to see the trees into which the aircraft flew. The first tree struck extended approximately 90 feet above the terrain, the elevation of which was 1,055 feet. The aircraft continued in a straight line, striking a second tree 60 feet away from the first. At this point the right horizontal stabilizer tip and the right elevator were sheared from the empennage A third tree was struck, 265 feet from the first point of contact, and miscellaneous fuselage parts and the right wing were torn from the aircraft. The airplane then made contact with the ground at which time both propellers were broken from the engines. The main body of the wreckage came to rest and burned 1,150 feet from the first point of impact. The pilot was killed, but the co-pilot, although seriously injured has substantially recovered.

On final approach to Jacksonville-Towers Field NAS, following a maritime patrol flight, the seaplane was too low, hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located few hundred yards short of runway. Two crew members were killed while five others were injured.

Enroute, the aircraft hit the east slope of Mt Page located 2 miles southwest of Saluda, North Carolina. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Four passengers were killed while six other occupants were injured.

While cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet by night on a flight from Wright-Patterson AFB to Little Rock, the twin engine aircraft hit the east slope of Mt Round Top located three miles south of Jasper, in the Ozark Mountains. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and the wreckage was spotted around midnight, four hours after the crash. All five occupants, four USAF officers and one Navy Officer, were killed.
Crew:
Lt Phillip Novick, pilot,
Lt Charles W. Thomas, copilot,
M/Sgt George L. Haties, crew chief.
Passengers:
Lt Felton F. Roberson,
GM2 Francis J. Russell.

The three engine aircraft was operated by the manufacturer Northrop in a number of various unimproved and short fields in Southern California (exact place unknown). The crew, consisting of one engineer and two pilots, was performing a test of an experimental dorsal fin. While flying in the vicinity of an airfield, the fin broke loose and damaged the Pioneer’s tail surfaces, making the aircraft uncontrollable. The test pilot Latham A. “Slim” Perrett did what he could to steady the aircraft to allow the copilot and an engineer to parachute to safety. Sadly, there was no time for Perrett to escape. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Source:
http://oldmachinepress.com/2014/05/17/northrop-n-23-pioneer-and-n-32-yc-125-raider/

The flight departed from its operating base, Burbank, California, for Oakland, California, at 0646, January, 1948. According to company instructions, the crew consisting of Francis Charles Atkinson, captain; Marion Harlow Ewing, first officer; and Mrs. Francis Charles Atkinson, stewardess, were to fly NC79055, which was certificated to carry 32 passengers, however, the crew made a mistake and departed in NC36480. This airplane was certificated to carry only 26 passengers and was 7 hours overdue for a 100-hour inspection at the time of departure from Burbank. Landing at Oakland was accomplished at 0849. The trip had been routine, and somewhere between Burbank and Oakland the pilot apparently realized that he was flying the wrong airplane for he requested his landing instructions from the Oakland tower with the appropriate airplane call numbers, 480. In Oakland, 28 Mexican Nationals and one United States Immigration official were enplaned for a flight to the Imperial County Airport, Imperial County, California. This flight was to be performed under a contract which the company had with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. Since NC36480 had accommodations for only 26 passengers, three of the 28 Mexican Nationals who boarded the aircraft were unable to be seated where they could be secured with safety belts. According to the statement of a United States Immigration official who assisted in the loading, three pieces of unsecured luggage were in the aisle at the time of take-off, and it as probable that the three passengers were seated on this luggage after the aircraft taxied from its parking area at the Oakland Airport for take-off. The remainder of the airplane load consisted of 375 gallons of fuel. Total weight was 67 pounds in excess of the maximum allowable. No flight plan was filed for the southbound trip since clear weather conditions prevailed over the route to the Imperial County Airport. Take-off was accomplished at approximately 0930. Before leaving the Oakland tower frequency Captain Atkinson received a message from his company, relayed through the tower, that he was to return directly to Burbank. His acknowledgment of this message was the last communication received from the flight. One hour and 35 minutes after the aircraft had departed from Oakland, it was observed over the vicinity of Coalinga, California, cruising at an estimated altitude of 5,000 feet above the ground. At this time a trail of white vapor or smoke, 150 to 200 feet long, was observed streaming from the left engine of the aircraft. Ten to 15 seconds later flames were seen flowing from the left engine over the wing and back to the empennage. Seconds later the left wing and the left engine dropped free from the rest of the aircraft; and the airplane fell out of control, crashed to the ground, and burst into flames.

The twin engine aircraft was returning from Newark and was diverted from National Airport due to a severe snowstorm, to Baltimore Municipal Airport. While approaching, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all four crew members. The wreckage was located two days later after an extensive search by Army, Navy and Coast Guard aircraft.
Crew:
Lcdr Charles W. Schuh,
Lt Jg William N. Killebrew,
Amm1 Charles A. MacArthur,
Arm1 Rudolph H. Schoning.

The aircraft departed Denver at 1602 for Grand Junction. The crew, all employees of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, consisted of Fred L. Snavely, pilot; Warren L. Lungstrum, copilot; and Ross C. Brown, observer. Over the route to Grand Junction a check was to be made by these men of the VHF (very high frequency) airway facilities to determine whether they were operating normally. According to the flight plan, the flight was to proceed over Red Airway 6 at an air speed of 150 mph. Though only 2 hours were required for the trip, 8 hours supply of fuel was carried. Information supplied to Copilot Lungstrum at the Denver United States Weather Bureau Office was to the effect that clear weather conditions existed generally over the intended route. Over Fraser, Colorado, located approximately 50 miles west northwest of Denver, however, broken clouds were reported. Since this layer of clouds was only 2,000 feet in depth, with tops at 13,500 feet above sea level, it appeared that a cruising altitude of 14,000 or 15,000 feet would be high enough for the flight. Winds at that altitude were from the northwest at 50 mph. Weather Bureau personnel advised that these winds would result in considerable turbulence. Take-off was accomplished at 1602. Twenty-two minutes later, at 1624, the CAA communication station at Denver received a position report from the flight that it was at an altitude of 14,500 feet, 500 feet over the top of clouds, and 20 miles west of Denver. The flight also reported that they were experiencing severe turbulence. Since the flight plan specified that the trip would be made in accordance with visual flight rules, and since the position report indicated that the aircraft was being flown over the top of clouds, the flight was requested at the termination of their 1624 position to verify whether they were actually proceeding in accordance with visual flight rules. A response in the affirmative was received. About one minute after the 1624 report the CAA communicator at Cheyenne, Wyoming, called NC206 and asked for a check of his station’s radio transmission. NC206 responded, “Read Cheyenne Radio loud and clear.” The communicator then asked for a position report from NC206, and the flight replied, “We are approximately. . . .” The remainder of this message, received shortly after 1625, was garbled and faded. The Cheyenne communicator attempted to contact the flight again but was unable to do so. Since interference to radio transmission could have resulted from the mountain ranges between Cheyenne and the aircraft, and since the Cheyenne communicator had overheard the report of severe turbulence, he presumed that the crew was completely occupied in flying the aircraft, and that either they had not heard the last transmission or were too busy at the time to acknowledge. Accordingly, he placed no significance on the failure of the flight to reply. A request had previously been made by the communication station at Eagle, Colorado, for the flight to check the radio transmission of that station. Since Eagle Radio did not receive any calls from NC206, the station called the flight at 1645. No reply was received. Repeated calls were made by the communicator at Eagle on all available frequencies at three-minute intervals until 1735. Then the station requested information concerning the flight from Grand Junction Radio, but neither Grand Junction Radio nor any other radio station on the route had received a call from NC206 since 1625. At 1825, 23 minutes after the estimated arrival time of NC206 at Grand Junction, an emergency was declared.

Flight 604 departed Miami, Florida, at 2301, January 20, 1948, on an instrument flight rules clearance, non-stop to Newark, New Jersey, to cruise at 15,000 feet via Airway Amber 7 to Jacksonville, Florida, and Airway Amber 6 to Alma, Georgia, thence direct to Spartanburg, South Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Washington, D. C., and via Airway Amber 7 to Newark, Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence. Rhode Island, were designated as alternate air ports. In order to remain above the overcast, the flight requested changes of cruising altitude between Winston-Salem and Washington, and at 0232, at which time it reported over Washington, the flight was cruising at 21,000 feet. Shortly after passing Washington, Flight 604 was cleared to descend en route to Newark and to cross Philadelphia at 7,000 feet, and was advised that no traffic was reported above 7,000 feet. A descent was established and at 0253 the flight reported over Philadelphia "at 8,000 feet descending." Shortly thereafter the company radio station at LaGuardia Field, New York, advised the flight that the 0240 weather observation for Newark indicated a ceiling of 700 feet and visibility of one-half mile. Immediately thereafter the flight was given an air traffic control clearance "to Flatbush and LaGuardia Approach Control" to cross Keyport and Flatbush at 2,500 feet. Upon receiving this clearance the captain immediately requested a confirmation from the New York dispatcher, inasmuch as no prior notice had been received of a change of destination from Newark to LaGuardia. In acknowledgment the flight was informed that the dispatcher desired the flight to proceed to LaGuardia Field. During the period of the flight from midnight until 0300, the ceilings had lowered throughout the New York-New Jersey area. At the time of the re-clearance the LaGuardia weather was being reported as ceiling 500 feet, visibility one and one-quarter miles, and light snow. The flight continued its descent on the east course of the Philadelphia radio range and reached 2,500 feet in the vicinity of Freehold, New Jersey, over which the crew reported passing at 0309. Immediately after this report the flight changed to the LaGuardia Approach Control frequency. LaGuardia Approach Control immediately cleared the flight to descend to 1,500 feet and approved a straight-in landing on Runway 4. Since no material change had been observed in the LaGuardia weather, the flight was again informed that the ceiling was reported as 500 feet, the visibility one and one-quarter miles, and the wind calm. The flight passed directly over the airport without attempting a landing approach and shortly thereafter reported over the range station which is located three and two-tenths miles northeast of the airport. The flight was then cleared to use the reciprocal runway, 22, but the aircraft returned southeastward, passing to the east of LaGuardia Field again without attempting a landing approach. During this period the LaGuardia weather observer completed the 0325 weather observation and approximately 3 minutes thereafter the flight was advised that this report indicated an indefinite ceiling 400 feet and visibility one and one-half miles. The flight continued southwestward in order to establish an approach to Runway 4. Approach Control asked the flight at this time whether it desired a GCA (Ground Controlled Approach Radar) monitored approach. The captain declined a controlled approach but stated that he would accept a monitored approach. At approximately 0330 the aircraft again passed over the airport in a northeasterly direction; the flight advised Approach Control that the ceiling was not 500 feet and requested a report of the current Boston weather. The 0230 Boston weather report was transmitted to the flight, indicating a ceiling of 8,000 feet, 3 miles visibility, smoke, and haze. Upon receiving this report, the flight requested and received clearance to Boston from Air Traffic Control and from the company dispatcher. At 0337, the flight reported leaving Rye, New York, en route to Boston, climbing to 5,000 feet. Shortly after the flight passed over Hartford, Connecticut, at 0354, the company station at Boston advised the captain that the flight was cleared to the Boston Tower. Before reaching Boston the flight was informed that the 0400 weather report for that station indicated "ceiling 600 feet, sky obscured, visibility one mile, light snow; surface wind southeast 8 miles per hour." After passing Franklin, Massachusetts, at 0409, the flight changed to the Boston Tower frequency. When asked by the flight whether the Instrument Landing System (ILS) was operating, the tower advised the flight that the monitor panel indicated this system to be operating normally. Shortly thereafter the tower cleared the flight for a straight-in approach to Runway 4 and cautioned that due to the runway condition braking action was "fair to poor." Initial touchdown was made on Runway 4, at 0417, approximately 2,000 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. After completing approximately 600 feet of its landing roll, the aircraft was seen to skid to the left and crash into a snowbank along the left side of the runway. The right landing gear and nose gear collapsed and the aircraft fell on the right wing, coming to rest on the left side of the runway heading in a westerly direction. Fire broke out in the vicinity of the No. 3 and No. 4 engines and spread rapidly toward the fuselage. However, all passengers were deplaned and were removed from the vicinity of the aircraft without injury resulting from the crash or subsequent fire. Five of the occupants were injured during the evacuation due to the necessity for jumping from the rear exit, which was estimated to be 12 to 16 feet above the ground. Several fire fighting units from the airport and from East Boston were alerted and proceeded to the scene of the accident; however, the aircraft continued to burn for approximately one hour and 30 minutes after the crash.